Electrical connector



Nov. 6, 1951 E. E. HOLKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 29, 1949 r lNVENTO R EUGENE E. HOLKE FIG.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1 951 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 1 Eugeneflrflolke st;Louis, Moi; assignorto J ames- R3 Karney Cdrporation, St. Louis, Moi,- a =corporationt of: Missouri Application April 129', 1949, S erialNo. 90320 a This inventiom relates generally to electrical connectors" and" more specifically to -"e1ectrical connectors of the 'typecomprising a pair ofjaw members thatflare drawn toward" each other -to* the clamping positions thereof by "belts or other screwthreaded elementsjthe predominant object.

of the inventionbeing to-provide anelectrical connector of the type mentioned which is of-such improved iconstruction and arrangement that it is'capable of performing its intended function in animproved and highly efiicient manner? Fig. 1 is a plan -view'of the improved-electricalconnector of the present-invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken --through the 1 connector shown in Figa--1 showing a pai-r of electrical 'conductors associated therewith.

Fig; 3 is a--vertical section taken on. line 3-3 ofFig.2.-

Fig; 4 is a :fragmentary, horizontal. section taken on lined-4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is...a .fragmentary horizontal; section taken on line.*5-.:.5 of Fig.2. I

In the drawing, wherein is shown for- -purposes of illustration,v merely, one embodiment'of the invention, ,A,.designates theuimproved-connector generally. The connector A includes a jaw member-l which comprises atop wall portionnprovided with an arcuate wire seat 2 that. extends transversely of the .under .sidflofl said top wall portion; said jaw memberjl including, also,.oppos'ed,,bi'furcated side wall portions 3,"the spaced legs 3'" of 'each'of which extend "downwardl from the top wall'portion' of the 'jaw" member l,'with'the inner edges'iofsaid 'spaced" legs 3" merging into the wire seat 2 (Fig; 2); The electrical conductor A "includes; also; 'a jaw membar 4 which is alined with the jaw member- 1, said jaw member l being provided withoutwardly extended lug portions 5 which are projected from 1 the opposite side faces of said j awmember l. :The lug-portion 5 at each side of the: jaw member A -I is projected-into the space between the zspaced legs '3' at' the corresponding side of the.jaw'mem-, ber l, and .thejawmemberd is-providedwith a transversely :extended, concavei 1wire=.seat 6 of Which-'arcuate, top. faces.;of the lug portions 5 a form parts. i I

The :top, ;wa1l,.ofthe. jaw member I is .provided with spaced-openings. 1 and the jaw" member 4 is likewise provided with spaced openings. 8, the spaced openingst of thejawmemberd being alinedv with thespaced .openings vU! .of .the jaw member .I andflsaidopenings 8 having screwthreaded .walls. The jaw members l and} are connected together by means of a pairof bolts 2.: j. 9 and 10f each--of--said bolts being extendedthrough a pair "of alined openings! and-8 "and" with screwthreaded -shank portions of "said bolt's screwthreadedly engaging the screwthreaded" walls of the openings 8 of jaw memberJ-B It is to be-noted that the shank-of the bolt ID is shown as being screwthreaded throughout its entire length, Whilethe shank of the bolt 9 is screw threaded throughout only 'a portion of- 'its length, as-is shown-clearly in Figi- 2. In other words, the bolt 9 is'provided with a smooth shank portion 9 which extends from the underside of the head of said bo1t=to the-inner end of thescrewthreaded-portion of said bolt shank; and'- said smooth shank-portion is of substantially less diameter than the outside diameter of the screwthreaded shank portion of theb'olt 9.

The improvedelectrical connector A includes a spacer member ll which is interposed between 'the pairs of spaced legs 3--of-the jaw :member I thatare located at opposite sides of the-conned: tor; and intermediate ot the wire' seats 2 and fi of the jaw .membersii and:.4.= The spacer memher :I l is provided with :opposech concave .wire' seats I I which extend: longitudinally -.thereofli and-fixed to said spacer memberLis-a substane: tially. L-shaped element?! 2; --the horizontalulegz of which'is provided. withan opening. formed; therethrough through'which. the shank o-f the bolt [0 extends. The spacer member II has formed therein avertical groove [4 (Fig. 5)

which receives thevertical leg of the element 12, portions l5 of the .spacer :member at opposite. sides of the groove l4 being swaged intoengagmg contact with the outer face of said vertical v said jaw member I to ,permit passage them through of the screwthreaded shank portion of the bolt'9. When the jaw member is made orig-' inally the opening 1 through which the bolt 9 passes is round, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and theadjacent end portion of said jaw;- member I is shapedas is also shown b dottedl lines "in Fig. 4. Howeveryafter the connector the wire seats 2 and 6 of the jaw members I and;

4 and the wire seats ll of the spacermember II, as is shown in Fig. 2. The bolts are then drawn up to move the jaw members l and 4 into I clamping relation with respect to the conductors Ca and Cb. Also, because of the deformed opening 1 in the jaw member I through which the shank of the bolt 9 extends, said bolt 9 may not be entirely disengaged from the connector structure, and because of the attachment of the spacer member II to the bolt I9, through the instrumentality of the L-shaped element l2, said spacer member may not be accidentally detached from the connector structure.

I claim: 7

1. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, and a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, said first jaw member being provided with means at the opening thereof through which the shank portion of one of said bolts extends which prevents passage of the screwthreaded shank portion of said bolt through said opening.

2. Anelectrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, and a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, saidfirst jawmernoer being provided with meansat the opening thereof through which the shank portion of one of said bolts extends which prevents passage of the screwthreaded shank portion of said bolt through said opening, said means comprising an integral part of said first jaw member.

3. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, and a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, said first jaw member being provided with means at the opening thereof through which the shank portion-of one of said bolts extends which prevents passage of the screwthreaded shank portion of said bolt through said opening, said means comprising an integral deformed part of said first jaw member which constitutes a part of the wall of said opening.

5. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings iormed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, and a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which arescrewthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, the opening of said first jaw member through which one of said bolts extends being of such shape as to prevent passage of the screwthreaded shank 7 pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, the opening of said first jaw member through which one of said bolts extends being of such irregular shape as to prevent passage of the screwthreaded shank portion of said bolt through said opening.

7. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, a spacer member disposed between said first and second jaw members, an attaching element associated with said spacer member and having an opening formed therethrough through which the shank portion of one of said bolts passes, and swaged portions of said spacer member which secure said attaching element to said spacer member. v

8. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings iormed therethrough, a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first an'opening formed therethrough through which the shank portion of one of said bolts passes, said spacer member being provided with a groove that receives a portion of said attachment element, and swaged portions of said spacer memher which secure said attaching element to said spacer member.

9. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, a spacer member disposed between said first and second jaw members, an attaching element associated with said spacer member and having an opening formed therethrough through which the shank portion of one of said bolts passes, said spacer member being provided with a groove that receives a portion of said attaching element, and swaged portions of said spacer member at the opposite sides of said groove which secure said attaching element to said spacer member. I

10. An electrical connector comprising a first jaw member having openings formed therethrough, a second jaw member having screwthreaded openings formed therethrough, a pair of bolts the shank portions of which extend through the openings formed through said first jaw member and have screwthreaded portions which are screwthreadedly seated in the openings formed through said second jaw member, a spacer member disposed between said first and second jaw members, an attaching element of L-shaped form associated with said spacer member and having an opening formed therethrough through which the shank portion of one of said bolts passes, said spacer member being provided with a groove that receives a portion of said attaching element, and swaged portions of said spacer member at the opposite sides of said groove which secure said attaching element to said spacer member.

EUGENE E. HOLKE.

No references cited. 

